Bonjour,
Although I am looking forward to wonderful cuisine during our visit to Paris, after a health scare a few months ago my husband %26amp; I (both very overweight at the time) have managed to lose about 100 lbs between the two of us mostly by limiting starches and I hate to lose all momentum on that.
I%26#39;m not about to give up my petit dejeuner baguette, but if it would not be considered rude I would like to know how to ask, for example, that I be given extra vegetables instead of potatoes or rice.
Is this sort of request considered acceptable? And if so, can someone give me a good phrase in French to use?
Merci
|||
I congratulate you on your weight losses and can understand that you don%26#39;t want to blow it while on holiday, but French food is not usually the %26quot;culprit%26quot; unless you go a bit wild. Though, please do enjoy some of the offerings and enjoy yourselves.
Baguette is not typical for breakfast at all ~ it%26#39;s usually a croissant %26amp; pastries, which are indeed high in calories and fat. You could always exchange that for joghurt on some days? And when enjoying a baguette, opt for lean ham as opposed to rich pates/sausages. It will still be a heavenly! Most people who go to Paris notice that they don%26#39;t put on weight, in some cases they loose(!) because of the amount of walking in the city.
You%26#39;ll notice too that the average restaurant meal is very well composed and balanced,(and the portions much smaller than those in the US.) The French often opt for fruit for dessert. But we always have a couple of rich desserts (including the cheeses) now and then, we never put on a single pound. But I realize that our metabolisms are all different as can our common-sense differ -:) when we%26#39;re tempted.
If you find that you have over-indulged, for your next meal you can always ask for a simple omelett with herbs and a salad. This is often done! (I hasten to add, not in fancy restos LOL)
%26quot;Est-ce que je pourrais avoir des haricots verts a la place des frits%26quot;? (May I have please have green beens instead of fries? is something I sometimes ask). And those beens are amazing!
Do invest in a small phrase book and look forward to your trip with optimism. Good luck!
|||
Soames, thank you for your thoughtful and very helpful comments and suggestions!
As you say, the portions and composition of the meals are different (I would truly dread facing a vacation in the US right now!) and I am sure that a great deal of walking will help. With some careful planning we will be able to enjoy the delightful cuisine Parisienne while not derailing our success entirely.
Merci beaucoup,
Sophy
|||
Rick Steves%26#39; French phrasebook has a good dining section, which probably has the type of phrases/questions you%26#39;re looking for.
|||
Thanks, OuiParis!
|||
Sophy, congratulations on weight loss, I have been there too, and I went to France after I lost about 30 pounds. I was a little obsessive about watching what I ate, and I look back now and think how silly I was, I did in fact lose weight from all the walking and stairs, and not having a kitchen to pop into in the evening and snack from was a great help too! ( I did have some snacks in the hotel, but not like a whole kitchen! )
I guess my experiences are different then the other posters, I do NOT find the meals well balanced, not meals in cafes and bistros anyways.
They are MEAT( or seafood) and STARCH heavy... usaually fries, but sometimes rice or other style of potatoes.
Vegatables are often ordered seperately , or put on place more as a garnish..
I actaully miss vegatables in Paris. I do eat alot of good salads though, and the salad composees ( sorry spelling ) are a meal in themselves. ( basically a huge salad with whatever cold vegs thrown on top, some raw some cooked( but cold). Very tasty.
I do highly highly recommend the haricot verts, they are so good, much thinnner and tenderer then the ones here, but I think they saute them in butter, but dang , who cares they are so good.
|||
IMO, you can over eat in Paris and there was a day or 2 when I did eat too much because the food was so good. But when I did eat too much, the next day i would eat a light lunch light like some fish and I would skip the appetiser and dessert.
There was also day where I would just graze. In the morning, I would eat 2 pastries, then a couple hours later, I would have a tart tatin and champagne in a cafe, followed by a coffee. Then later I would eat another pastry. After an hour, I would eat a half of baguette on the street. And for dinner, just an appetiser and main dish but no dessert or bread.
|||
Thanks, Joan %26amp; Willie.
Guess I will try to just relax %26amp; enjoy myself and just keep walking %26amp; grazing!
|||
Actually, baguette is typical for breakfast, many people have baguette with butter and jam.
What about you rent an appartment, then you can buy only the healthy food, and cook it yourself. Then, on some nights you can go out to restaurants
%26quot;sauce à part%26quot; = suance on the side
avec des haricots verts s%26#39;il vous plaît ! = with green beans please. on the menu it usually says %26quot; servi avec des frites, etc...%26quot; = served with fries.
Chamgement d%26#39;accompagnement= change in the side from fries to ...can be charged 1 or 2 euros. Sometimes it is free.
|||
Thanks very much, Raphy!
The apartment is a great idea, but unfortunately a bit late as we leave next week. I will try that next time!
Merci,
Sophy
|||
Bonjour!
You are my hero!! I know how hard it is to lose that kind of weight and I congratulate you!
I have found that France is actually a wonderful place to go if you are trying to watch what you eat. In most French restaurants and sidewalk cafes, the portions are a healthy size and they don%26#39;t use as much butter and fat as they do in cooking in the U.S. I always lose weight when I go there because of this. The French way of cooking is simple and fresh with very little in the way of processed foods. The restaurants shop in the marche daily as the rest of the population does which results in very nutritious, balanced plates.
I always enjoy just picking my way through the daily markets that spring up on the streets in the morning and choosing a few things to start my day along with a croissant and cafe. It%26#39;s all about balance and portion and you will find this approach in abundance there.
Bon journee and good luck with your trip! You%26#39;ll have a wonderful time.
Anita
No comments:
Post a Comment